Large parts of Chennai are going hungry and thirsty with a shortage of food and potable water and help unable to reach stranded citizens. While some rescue teams from the NDRF, army and navy have already reached the city, large swathes of Chennai have gone without help. In some parts, there is no electricity for nearly two days. Food packets are being distributed and many homes have been opened up those who have lost their homes. 

The floods have also pushed up prices of vegetables with potatoes going for as much as Rs 80 per kg.

The toll so far stands at 197 dead. The Indian Coast Guard ship Sarang has been deployed to Chennai with divers with food being cooked on-board for distribution among victims:


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday has instructed the immediate release of financial assistance of another Rs 509 crore to deal with the flood situation in rain- battered Tamil Nadu. This is in addition to the Rs 940 crore sanctioned last week after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa wrote to him for funds to sustain relief work.

Today, both houses of Parliament discussed relief work in the state and assured the state government that all help would be given.  Rajya Sabha MPs also pledged to contribute an unnamed amount of their salary towards flood relief. The amount would be decided after consulting the Rajya Sabha Chairman.

Heavy rains today pounded several parts of Tamil Nadu and inundated most areas of Chennai, severely disrupting flights, train and bus services and forcing half-yearly school exams to be postponed. This, even as the Met department warns of even more rains over the next four days.


As the death toll in rain-related incidents touched 188, Chief Minister Jayalalithaaa reviewed the situation and deputed ministers to inspect the affected regions.


All flight operations at Chennai airport have been partially suspended until further review and a number of flights have been disrupted as waters inundated the runway and the tarmac. Airport officials said one flight, which had left Colombo this morning, returned. SpiceJet and Indigo tweeted saying the airfield had been closed due to flooding.